adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
THE Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, has launched A1 Model Settlement permits for Manicaland in a move likely to open streams of funding and boost productivity as farmers can make long term investments given their security of tenure. The permits were launched on Wednesday in Nyazura – where the first batch of 182 out of 15 068 A1 farmers from Makoni, Mutasa, Mutare, Nyanga and Chipinge districts received the permits which Dr Mombeshora said were bankable, inheritable and permanent unlike the 99-year leases.
Their issuance was in terms and conditions of the Agricultural Land Settlement Regulations/Statutory Instrument 53 of 2014. Permit application and processing costs $20. The new era will see all land beneficiaries paying land rentals to the Lands Ministry, as per Finance Act of 2015.
In the past, levies were paid to Rural District Councils. RDCs will now get their dues from the ministry. A2s are expected to pay $5 per hectare per annum – that is $3 land rental and $2 development levy. A1 farmers are now required to pay $15 per annum – that is $10 land rentals and $5 development levy.
Those who fail to pay risk losing their land.
The permits specify in detail the land allocated to the beneficiary together with a map depicting the portion of land and provides details of the farmer together with those of spouses. This was meant to protect women from falling victim in the event of matrimonial disputes or death.
“The document gives security of tenure to our A1 Model farmers, who constitute the majority of our resettled farmers. Mini audits done in the past have shown that this category of farmers is more productive than A2 Model farmers whom we gave much bigger farms.
“It is therefore befitting that they be given assurance of their occupation and use of this valued resource, land. (This) is a seal on the process that has been implemented to empower the indigenous people through access, ownership and use of their own resources,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He said Section 292 of the Constitution mandates Government to take appropriate legislative measures to give security of tenure to those lawfully owning land.
Dr Mombeshora said his ministry was working to address gaps on the collateral value of 99 year leases.
“Government is committed to ensure all lawful agricultural land users get security of tenure to allow them to invest on the land without fear of losing their investment,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He warned traditional leaders and other Government officials against haphazard and unilateral allocation of land which has led to the reduction of arable and grazing areas in resettled areas. “It is illegal and you can be arrested and sent to jail for that. No one should resettle themselves or be resettled without approval. These people should be removed to restore sanity in resettled areas,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora also warned some officials he said were denying genuine offer letter holders access to their land in support of incumbent white farmers.
“We also have cases of people allocated land, but have abandoned it and instead sublease it to former owners. To this we say NO. I will not hesitate to withdraw offer letters for those proved to be subleasing their farms. While we understand that Government has not been able to fully support farmers and financial institutions are not keen to lend money to them, we do not see subletting as a solution. Government has agreed to joint ventures, partnerships and contract farming provided the farmers bring their applications for approval. We see these as progressive as they help capacitate our farmers,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He said 14, 7 million hectares out of the 15, 5 m ha of formerly owned commercial farming land has been allocated to blacks since 1980.
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